Mechanism for separating flat articles



NOV. 26, 1968 c DALL ET AL 3,412,442

MECHANISM FOR SEPARATING FLAT ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 1967 m Ma 2M T de R mnh .m 2% .16 WA 5F t mm CA W m NOV. 26, 1968 c, CRANDALL ET AL 3,412,442

MECHANISM FOR SEPARATING FLAT ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1967 INVENTORS Char/e5 B. Cram/all ,A/bert fi' Scheff and 5V 0%, W maid ATTOR/VfYJ NOV. 26, 1968 c, CRANDALL ET AL 3,412,442

MECHANlSM FOR SEPARATING FLAT ARTICLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 23, 1967 INVENTORS and Char/e5 B. Cranaal/ Alfie/z F 56/162? 5 y 00%, W, ATTORNEY) United States Patent 3,412,442 MECHANISM FOR SEPARATING FLAT ARTICLES Charles B. Crandall, Rockford, Albert F. Scheif, Cherry Valley, 11]., assignors to Barber-Colman Company, Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 618,109 16 Claims. (Cl. 2846) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary heddle feeding mechanism incorporated in a warp drawing-in machine and having coaxial leader and turning worms disposed alongside a heddle frame. A coaxial separator at the entry end of the leader worm is formed with a spiral edge that traverses across the parting line between the two terminal heddles and the remainder of the pack and presses into the pack, and with a spring finger that follows the spiral edge and presses the two separated heddles firmly against the leader worm for separation by a similar spiral edge on the leader worm, the lead angle of the active portion of the second spiral edge being less than the angle of the leader Worm.

Background of the invention The invention relates to mechanism for separating flat articles, such as heddles in a warp drawing-in machine, from a closely packed group or bank and feeding the separated heddles away from the pack. In a warp drawing-in machine, the threads of a warp beam are positioned to be drawn through a plurality of heddle frames each movably supporting a pack of heddles, a heddle from a selected frame being separated from its pack for each thread and advanced along a helical groove in a leader worm to a turning device which twists or turns the heddle and presents an eye in the heddle to a needle for drawing the thread through the eye. The heddles are separated one by one from the packs on the various frames under the control of a pattern which thus determines which heddle each thread of the warp beam passes through and, therefore, the eventual textile pattern that is produced with the threads of the beam.

More particularly, the invention has reference to the separation and feeding of heddles in a warp drawing-in machine of the well known type sold by Barber-Colman Company, Rockford, Ill. in which the heddles of each pack have been held by an elongated key shaft that extends through key hole slots in the heddles and releases the heddles one by one in response to turning of the shaft step by step in one direction under the control of the pattern. This form of heddle release mechanism is illustrated in Peterson Patent No. 2,175,910 and Wieneke Patent No. 3,103,056, and has been used in the trade for many years.

Brief summary of the invention The present invention eliminates the need for key shafts for releasing heddles in a machine of the foregoing character, thus avoiding several disadvantages that are inherent in the use of key shafts, and effects the selective and high speed release and separation of heddles in a novel manner that provides positive control and insures that a heddle eye is properly presented to the needle to receive each thread. Each terminal heddle is separated, on demand, by a simple and positively acting separator rotatable with the leader worm and operable during such rotation to pick-off the terminal heddle and feed the latter quickly to the leader worm, avoiding delays in the release of heddles that have resulted from the twisting of the key shaft between the actuator at one end of the shaft and the terminal heddle at the other end,

3,412,442 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 and also avoiding the formation of bur-rs and rough spots on the heddles as an incident to repeated use, thereby eliminating snagging of the threads by the heddles.

In the preferred form, more than one heddle is separated from the pack during each cycle thereby insuring that one heddle is made available even if one is skipped, and the terminal heddle of these is picked off by a second separator on the leader worm and fed into the groove of the worm for advancement to the turning worm. Moreover, the second separator is formed in a novel manner to rlrflinimize wear on both the heddles and the separator itse Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a warp drawing-in machine equipped with a separating mechanism embodying the novel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the separating mechanism, partly broken away and shown in cross-section.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first separator.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the separating mechanism with sections of heddles in different positions therein.

FIGS. 5-7 are end views of the separating mechanism taken substantially along the line 55 in FIG. 2 and showing diiferent angular positions of the separator.

FIGS. 8-10 are plan views of the mechanism in the angular positions shown in FIGS. 5-7.

Detailed description As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is incorporated in a warp drawing-in ,machine 10 with a group of heddle frames 11 mounted in side-by-side relation on the machine base 12 and each supporting a plurality of heddles 13 that are held in a bank or pack 14 between a release mechanism 15 at the left end of the pack in FIG. 1 and a conventional backer 17 at the right end of the pack. The release mechanism includes a turning worm 18 (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 8-10) and a coaxial leader worm 19 both carried on the free end of an elongated shaft 20 journaled at its opposite end on a control head 21 (FIG. I) mounted on a carriage 22 that is slidable on the base. The left end portion of the shaft is journaled in the upper end of a post 23 upstanding from the left end of the carriage beneath the associated heddle frame.

With this arrangement, movement of the carriage 22 to the right pulls the heddle packs 14 progressively in that direction along the heddle frames 11 while the release mechanisms 15 separate the heddles 13 one by one from the left ends of the packs and present each separated heddle to the needle 24 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The latter draws warp threads through eyes 25 in the heddles and through other associated parts (not shown), thereby preparing the threads for the weaving operation.

Each heddle frame 11 comprises parallel upper and lower rails 27 (FIG. 1) connected at their opposite ends by metal strips 28 that carry a pair of parallel support bars 29 upon which the heddles 13 are slidably supported. The heddles are thin strips of resiliently flexible wire or fiat metal having hook-shaped openings adjacent their opposite ends loosely receiving the heddle-support bars, the heddle eyes 25 being close to the midpoints of the heddles. The frames are suspended from supports 30 on rails (not shown) above the heddles.

As the carriage 22 moves to the right and the separating and turning mechanism 15 pulls the heddle pack 14 to the right, the hacker 17, which is slidably mounted on the lower support bar 29, frictionally engages the latter and exerts a preselected resistance to movement of the pack along the frame. Frictional resistance to sliding of the heddles along the support bars also exerts a drag on the pack and, in some instances, the backer 17 may not be required. Under the control of the usual pattern (not shown), successive terminal heddles at the left end of the pack are separated from the pack and fed to the turning worm 18 by the leader worm 19, both worms being of basically conventional construction.

It will be seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 8-10 that the leader worm is a screw-like element spline-coupled to the shaft adjacent its left end (FIG. 2) and having a helical flight of several convolutions defining a helical groove 31 with an entry end at the right end of the worm and a discharge end at the left. The turning worm also is splinecoupled to the shaft and is clamped against the left end of the leader worm to receive heddles therefrom. Formed in the body of the turning worm is a shaped groove 32 which receives each heddle sideways and then turns the central portion of the heddle 90 degrees (see FIG. 4) to present the eye to the needle 24. Each heddle is held momentarily in the turned condition and then is released and discharged to the left. For this purpose, the pattern first causes the worm shaft 20 to rotate through 180 degrees to advance a heddle to the turning worm and twist the heddle to the turned position, then to dwell for a suitable period, and then to rotate on through an additional 180 degrees to discharge the heddle after a thread has been inserted through the eye.

The release of heddles from a pack 14 on one of the frames 11 to the associated leader worm 19 has been effected in previous drawing-in machines of the foregoing type of a key shaft (not shown) which extends through generally alined key hole slots in the heddles of the pack with a helical key on the free end of the shaft for advancing successive terminal heddles away from the pack and releasing each heddle upon turning of the key shaft in one direction under the control of the pattern. One disadvantage of this type of release mechanism is the time delay that can occur as a result of twisting of the key shaft between its ends, particularly with relatively long key shafts, and another is the burring of the heddles by the keys adjacent the key slots. Burrs formed on the heddles can snag the threads and interfere with proper handling.

In accordance with the present invention, the key shafts are completely eliminated and the heddles 13 are separated from each pack 14 by a novel rotary separator 33 which rotates with the worms 18 and 19 and is formed and positioned to enter smoothly between two heddles adjacent the left end of the pack, separating the heddles from each other and then shifting the terminal heddle of the pack toward the leader worm. The rotary separator is positive and rapid in operation, is immediately responsive to pattern actuation, and eliminates burring of the heddles as well as other disadvantages and inconveniences of prior key shaft releases.

To these ends, the separator 33 is supported on the shaft 20 in coaxial relation with the worms 18 and 19 adjacent the entry end of the leader worm groove and is formed with a spiral outer knife edge 34 having a leading end spaced radially from its axis of rotation a distance less than the spacing of the axis from the side of the heddle pack 14. The edge moves radially outwardly from and longitudinally to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2 relative to the pack, to press into the pack during rotation of the shaft in one direction while moving across the parting line between two heddles, thereby pressing smoothly in between the heddles and separating them from each other. During continued rotation of the shaft, the separator feeds the terminal heddle into the leader worm for delivery to the turning worm. At the same time, a previously separated heddle is fed from the discharge end of the leader worm groove to the turning worm and is turned to present its eye to the needle 24 to receive a thread.

In this instance, the separator 33 is a disk-like element, shown mostly clearly in FIG. 3, having a center hole with a serrated wall sized to telescope snugly over a serrated sleeve 35 (FIGS. 2 and 4) telescoped Onto the shaft 20 and pressed at one end into the leader worm 19 to couple the separator to the shaft. On its right side (FIG. 2), the separator abuts against a sleeve 37 engaging a positioning shoulder 38 on the shaft, and on its left side it abuts against a spacer 39 disposed between the separator and the entry end of the leader worm.

It will be seen in FIGS. 2 and 510 that the shaft 20 extends alongside the pack 14 of heddles 13 and is positioned so that the periphery of the sleeve 37 is close to the side of the pack. The spiral edge 34 herein begins at the peripheries of the spacer 39 and the sleeve 37 and spirals outwardly to an outside diameter approximately equal to the outside diameter of the leader worm 19. The axial spacing of the leading end of the spiral edge from the worm is determined by the thickness of the spacer, and the spacing of the remainder of the edge from the worm is determined by the configuration of the disk-like element which herein is peripherally bent over and, in effect, cupped toward the worm at 40 to ovirlie the spacer to some extent.

To insure that the spiral edge 34 becomes alined with the parting line between two heddles to be separated from each other, regardless of variations in thickness due to bends or burrs, the separator 33 is designed to move this edge longitudinally of the pack 14 across a selected parting line from one side to the other while the edge is pressing against the pack. It must be recognized, however, that the position of the heddles in the pack depends upon the lead angle or incline, if any, of the part of the Worm against which the pack abuts, because the pack is urged 4 toward the worm and thus is positioned by the worm.

In other words, if the pack abuts against the helical flight of the worm, the effective movement of the flight to the left (FIG. 2) during rotation of the worm in one direction can produce a movement of the pack to the left relative to the separator.

Thus, if the pack is positioned to abut against an inclined portion of the worm flight, the lead angle or incline of the spiral edge 34 preferably is made less than the lead angle of the leader worm 19 so that the spiral edge diverges from the worm and, though preferably having a lead to the left, actually moves to the right relative to the pack, as viewed in FIG. 2. For example, with a typical worm lead of .050 of an inch per revolution, the spiral edge may have a lead on the order of .042 of an inch per revolution or .021 per half revolution, the actual angular extent of the edge 34 as shown.

In the preferred embodiment shown herein, however, a fiat, 19 (see FIGS. 2 and 410) is formed on the right end of the worm in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (a lead angle of Zero), and is positioned to abut against the end of the heddle pack during the separating operation. Accordingly, the pack is held axially stationary relative to the selector 33, so that the leftward lead of the spiral edge 34 causes the edge to traverse across the parting line from right to left. Herein, the axial spacing of the spiral edge 34 from the adjacent convolution of the leader worm, at the active point where the edge engages the side of the pack 14, is made slightly greater than the normal thickness of two heddles, and the edge converges toward the worm convolution as it moves angularly around the axis of rotation to a spacing less than the normal thickness of two heddles.

With this arrangement, the spiral edge 34 traverses across the parting line between the second and third heddles 13 of the pack 14, moving from the third heddle toward the second heddle while pressing into the pack to separate the heddles. It will be evident that the lead angle of the spiral edge should be as small as is practical to allow the edge to aline properly with the parting line and enter between the heddles with a minimum of resistance. Entry and separation are facilitated by the rounded edges of the heddles. Moreover, the spline mounting of the separator permits it to 'be adjusted angularly about the sleeve 35 and the shaft 20, and such adjustment has the effect of shifting the active point of the spiral edge axially along the pack for proper entry.

After separating the two heddles 13 from the pack 14, the spiral edge 34 swings on beyond the plane of the side of the pack with the two separated heddles held between the separator 33 and the adjacent convolution of the leader worm 19. To press these heddles firmly against the leader worm for entry of one heddle into the helical groove 31, a spring backing 41 is formed on the separator to follow the spiral edge in between the heddles, and is inclined or bent toward the adjacent worm convolution to a spacing therefrom less than the thickness of two heddles in order to apply firm spring pressure to the heddle that is to be fed into the worm groove. As shown most clearly in FIG. 3, this backing is a finger formed as an integral extension of the peripheral portion of the separator disk, and is arcuately curved to overlie the entry end of the groove. The inner side of the finger is defined by the wall 42 of an arcuate notch in the disk, and the finger preferably presses against the adjacent worm convolution when free.

With the separator 33 formed and positioned to pick off more than one heddle 13 during each cycle, it is assured that at least one will be fed to the leader worm, even where there is a variation in thickness that might cause the separator to skip one heddle, separating only one from the pack. It will be apparent that the separator also will serve this precautionary function if it is arranged to pick off three heddles or more. The extra heddle (or heddles) simply returns to the pack 14 after the spring finger 41 passes, and then is picked off, usually with the next heddle in line, during the next cycle.

To separate the first heddle 13 from the second heddle, the leader worm 19 has a rotary separator 43, similar to the separator 33, formed integrally with its leading or entry end. This separator also has a spiral edge, indicated generally at 44 (see FIGS. 5-10), that moves radially outwardly and longitudinally relative to the separated heddles 13 to traverse across the parting line between these heddles while pressing in between to separate them and guide the first heddle into the helical groove 31. This spiral is formed by machining off the end convolution of the worm 19 to a sharper curvature so that the end of the worm is at or close to the root diameter of the leader worm, and also beveling the periphery of the spiral portion to a relatively sharp edge.

Of course, the spiral edge 44 initially has the same lead angle as the remainder of the worm 19, and thus will not traverse relative to heddles that are pressed against the next convolution of the Worm. To create a difference in leads, a portion of the modified convolution is bent over toward the next convolution as shown at 45 in FIGS. 4-7 and 9. This elfectively changes the lead angle by increasing it at 44 to an angle greater than the normal lead of .050 of an inch and reducing it at 44 to an angle less than .050 of an inch. The pick-off or active point of the spiral, where the latter engages the heddles 13, is positioned at or beyond the midpoint of the bent-over portion so that the edge diverges from the next worm convolution during traversing and after entering between the two separated heddles. An advantage gained by traversing the spiral edge 44 across the parting line from left to right, away from the next convolution of the leader worm 19, is the avoidance of pinching of heddles between the edge and the next convolution. With these two elements diverging, the effective width of the passage for a heddle increases from the active or pick-01f point so that .the heddles and the edge are not subjected to excessive stress and wear as could be the case if the edge traversed from right to left and converged on the next worm convolution after picking off a heddle. In other words, this avoids pinching of the heddle as it is fed into the groove 31, which is somewhat wider than the width of the heddle.

With the foregoing arrangement, the first separator 33 normally separates two heddles 13 from the pack 14 during each cycle of the shaft 20, and the spring finger 41 follows the edge 34 between the pack and the separated heddles and presses the first heddle firmly against the adjacent convolution of the worm 19 for a final separation by the second separator 43. If for any reason the first separator misses one heddle, the remaining heddle still is pressed tightly against and fed into the leader worm. -In the first separating operation, the separating edge 34 converges on the fiat 19 on the worm to traverse across the parting line toward the worm. The springiness of the metal of this separator prevents excess wear as a result of the convergence. In the second separating operation, the edge 44 diverges from the next worm convolution to traverse across the parting line between the two separated heddles away from the next convolution, and thus avoids pinching of the separated heddle.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a plurality of heddles of predetermined normal thickness supported on said frame in side-by-side relation in a pack and for movement along a path defined by said frame, a leader worm supported for rotation about an axis paralleling said path and spaced a predetermined distance to one side of said pack, said worm having a first predetermined lead angle and defining a helical groove for feeding heddles one by one away from one end of said pack during rotation of the worm in one direction, means urging the heddles toward said worm to position the heddles against the end of said worm, a rotary separator on said shaft adjacent the entry end of said groove and positioned beside the terminal heddles of said pack, said separator having a spiral edge with a leading end spaced axially from said axis a distance less than said preselected distance to lie alongside the pack in one angular position of the selector, said edge moving radially outwardly from the axis and longitudinally along said pack toward said worm during rotation of the selector in said one direction thereby to engage the pack at an active point on the edge and press into the pack while moving across the parting line between two heddles, and a spring on said selector following said spiral edge between said heddles and stressed to press the terminal heddle from said pack tightly against the adjacent convolution of said worm for entry into said groove.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said worm is formed With a flat generally perpendicular to said :axis for abutting against the end of said pack, and said active point is axially spaced from said flat a distance greater than the thickness of two heddles, said edge converging toward said flat to a spacing less than the thickness of two heddles to traverse across the second parting line of the pack.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which a second separator is formed on the leading end of said worm as a similar second spiral edge having an active point spaced axially from the adjacent worm convolution a distance less than the thickness of one heddle, said second edge diverging from the adjacent worm convolution to traverse across the parting line between the two separated heddles from the first heddle toward the second.

4. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a plurality of heddles of predetermined normal thickness supported on said frame in side-by-side relation in a pack and for movement along a predetermined path defined by said frame, a leader worm supported for rotation about an axis paralleling said path and spaced a preselected distance to one side of said pack, said worm defining a helical groove for feeding heddles one by one along said path away from said pack during rotation of the worm in one direction, means urging said heddles toward said worm to hold the heddles tightly in said pack adjacent the entry end of said worm for entry into said groove, a rotary separator on said shaft adjacent said entry end and positioned beside the terminal heddles of said pack, said separator having an outer spiral edge with a leading end spaced radially from said axis a distance less than said preselected distance to lie alongside the pack in one angular position of the selector, said edge moving radially outwardly from said axis and longitudinally relative to said pack during rotation of the selector in said one direction with said worm thereby to press into the pack while moving across the parting line between two heddles, and means on said separator following said leading end to move between said two heddles and press the first heddle separated from said pack tightly against the adjacent end of said worm for entry into said groove.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 in which the leading end portion of said spiral edge is spaced axially from the adjacent convolution of said worm a preselected distance such that the spiral edge traverses across a parting line other than the last parting line of said pack whereby said separator normally separates more than one heddle from the pack.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 in which said worm has a first predetermined lead angle, and said spiral edge has a second lead angle different from said first angle whereby said pack and said spiral edge move relative to each other to produce the traversing of the edge across the parting line.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 in which the lead angle of said spiral edge is greater than said first angle whereby said edge traverses toward said worm.

8. The combination defined in claim 4 in which said pressing means is a spring finger joined at its leading end to said separator to move between said two heddles as the latter are separated, said finger being resiliently pressed against the adjacent convolution of said worm adjacent the entry end of said groove to position the first heddle for entry into the groove.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 in which said separator and said finger are formed integrally as a single disk-like element with said spiral edge merging smoothly with the outside edge of the finger adjacent the periphery of said worm.

10. The combination defined in claim 5 in which the adjacent end portion of said leader worm is formed as a second separator with a second spiral edge similar to the spiral edge of said separator, and is formed and positioned to traverse across the parting line between the first and second separated heddles while pressing between the heddles to feed only one into said groove.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 in which said worm has a first predetermined lead angle, and said second spiral edge has a lead angle different from said first angle to produce the traversing of the edge relative to the separated heddles.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 in which said second spiral edge is integral with the leading end of said leader worm, and the different lead angle thereof is formed by a peripheral portion of the second separator bent toward the adjacent convolution of the worm, said peripheral portion being positioned to engage the separated heddles at a point where the edge is diverging from the adjacent convolution of the worm.

13. Mechanism for separating articles of predetermined approximate thickness arranged in side-by-side relation in a pack and movable individually away from one end of the pack, said mechanism having, in combination, a worm defining a helical groove for receiving an article and advancing the same along said groove longitudinally of the worm adjacent said one end of the pack and supported for rotation about an axis parallel to the path of movement of articles away from said one end, said axis being spaced a preselected distance from one side of the pack, a rotary separator coaxial with said worm and supported beside said pack for rotation with the worm, and means urging said articles toward said worm, said separator having a spiral edge with a leading end spaced radially from said axis a distance less than said preselected distance to lie alongside said pack in one angular position of the selector and the worm, said spiral edge moving radially outwardly from said axis toward said pack and longitudinally relative to said pack during rotation in said one direction, and having an active point for engaging and pressing between two articles while moving across the parting line between the two articles thereby to separate the articles and shift one away from the pack toward said groove.

14. Separating mechanism as defined in claim 13 in which said rotary separator is formed as an integral continuation of said worm, and said edge diverges from the adjacent convolution of the worm while traversing across the parting line between the first and second article to feed the first article into said groove.

15. Separating mechanism as defined in claim 13 in which said separator is an element mounted at one end of said worm with said leading end separated axially from the worm, the active point of said edge being positioned to cross and press into the parting line between two articles that are spaced from the end of said pack thereby to separate more than one article from the pack, said element having a spring thereon following said edge between the articles and stressed to press the articles firmly against the adjacent convolution of the worm.

16. Separating mechanism as defined in claim 15 further including a second separator on the leading end of said worm having a second spiral edge shaped and positioned to cross and press into the parting line between the first and second separated articles, and cooperating with said spring to feed the first article into said groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,230,494 2/1941 Kieke 28-44 2,445,999 7/1948 Drake 2844 2,696,654 12/1954 Townsend 2844 3,103,056 9/1963 Wieneke 2846 3,121,936 2/1964 Meierhofer 2846 LOUIS K. RIMRODT, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,412 ,442 November 26 1968 Charles B. Crandall et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 29, "predetermined" should read preselected same column 6, line 36, and column 7, line 5, "on said shaft", each occurrence, should read coaxial with said worm Column 6, line 39, "axially" should read radially same column 6, lines 41, 43 and 46, column 7, lines 10 and 12, and column 8, line 22, "selector", each occurrence, should read separator Signed and sealed this 10th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. E.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

